


Life of a Gangster

by greenho4



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: M/M, Ninjago Valentine Exchange, Not Canon Compliant, Opposite B, they're gangsters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 01:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30081054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/greenho4/pseuds/greenho4
Summary: When Nya goes to college in Ninjago City, Kai decides to go with her. But with his murky past as a gang member, he has a hard time trying to find a legal job. It's a good thing he meets a stranger who may or may not be into the same lifestyle.For the Ninjago Valentine Exchange on Tumblr.
Relationships: Kai/Zane (Ninjago)
Kudos: 20





	Life of a Gangster

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Ninjago Valentine Exchange on tumblr, as a response to this [art work](https://ninjago-valentine-exchange.tumblr.com/post/643125258112663552) (please check it out!!). The ship designation was Opposite B. I've never written for them before so here goes. Enjoy :)  
> -Xan

Kai had been young when he joined his first gang. He’d had no choice back then--his parents had mysteriously disappeared, leaving him as the sole caretaker of his baby sister and with no means to provide. The local gang, though small, was formidable, and they weren’t too particular about who exactly they let in, as long as they had a clean slate.

Ten year old Kai had definitely had a clean slate back then, with no ties to any organizations, good or bad.

He had found himself welcomed with open arms. A new family, a new way of life. And all the money he needed to take care of his sister. He was a fast learner, and had picked up everything there was to know to survive in such a life.

But now he was older, the start of a beard sprouting on his face, and the gang had been disbanded, its leaders seeking power in the larger cities. Kai had not been able to join them, reluctant to uproot Nya from their small village hometown. He’d somehow managed to graduate high school--though it was mostly due to Nya’s insistent needling--and had landed himself a minimum wage job as a janitor at a blacksmith shop-- _ his _ blacksmith shop, which had been seized by the government when his parents disappeared.

But now Nya was about to enter college in Ninjago City, located an hour away from their hometown, which meant she was going to move there--and him with her. 

At Nya’s insistence (she repeatedly told him that she was fine living with him but Kai still felt bad), the two siblings had scoured the city for affordable housing and had somehow managed to find a decent place, just big enough for the two of them. They had promptly packed up all their belongings, which wasn’t much in the first place, and used the last of their savings for a bus ride into the city, embarking on their new life.

Nya had settled into college life easily, with her usual competitiveness and fire. Kai liked to think he had taught her that, but deep down, he knew she had picked up quite a lot on her own. 

During the day, she went to classes, and at night she had homework and projects and clubs to attend to.

And now here he was, in a brand new city, with no job, no degree, and too much time on his hands while his sister seemed to have no time at all.

“Why don’t you get a job?” Nya asked. She was sitting at their only table in the kitchen-slash-living room of their tiny, shared apartment. Her homework was spread before her (“Seriously? Homework? On the first day?” Kai had exclaimed) and she hunched over it, humming a little to herself as she considered the problems, her pencil tapping against the table in a rhythm that Kai was all too used to.

“Me? Get a job?” Kai scoffed as he scrubbed the dishes from dinner. “Who would even hire me? I don’t have a college degree and I barely passed high school, as it was.”

“It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try,” Nya said. “I mean, you graduated high school. That  _ has _ to count for something.”

Kai shrugged. “I dunno, sis. High school was years ago now. I don’t think anyone will hire me, not after I messed up my last one--which wasn’t even my fault, by the way. I’ll try, though.”

Nya smiled at him. “And that’s all I can ask for.”

That week, Kai applied to many jobs, to no avail. He put on his best (borrowed) suit and tie and headed into any store he could find (which, considering the size of Ninjago City, was a lot), armed with his flimsy resume. With his charming personality, he usually managed to land an interview, but once they actually caught sight of his resume and his lack of experience, they were quick to dismiss him.

And now a week had passed and Kai still had no job. He told himself it was just the first week, but he didn’t feel hopeful. Still, he refused to give up. He could handle anything  _ except _ Nya’s disappointment (that expression of her’s...it reminded Kai too much of his mother). Plus, Nya needed the money to pay for college, and he didn’t want Nya to be forced into crippling debt or for her to work long hours while juggling school. He was the older brother. It was  _ his _ responsibility to take care of her.

As Kai left yet another store, feeling disgruntled and more than a little irritated, someone else rounded the corner. The two of them collided harshly, sending Kai reeling into the wall.

Kai raised his fist immediately, an instinct that had been drilled into him in his years as a gang member. There was a knife hidden in his belt and his other hand reached for it.

“Oh, sorry! My bad! I wasn’t looking.” The voice was pleasant and polite, and somehow warm.

Kai faltered, lowering his hand and relaxing his stance slightly, though he was still on edge. Ninjago City was new to him, and felt way too foreign. There were dangers lurking in every corner, ones he couldn’t seem to shake off. He felt it was always better to be safe than sorry.

The man opposite of him was tall, Kai noted with a twinge of annoyance (he liked to think he was tall, but realistically knew that was not the case). He was dressed in light colors: a white turtleneck tucked under a pale blue sweater, with a beige coat over it and matching white pants. His hair was cut neat and short, dashes of gray and white, and, as Kai observed, his skin seemed to be metallic, painted a dark gray that made no sense.

But his eyes...they were an icy blue that seemed to draw Kai in, reminding him of hidden ocean depths and unknown secrets, a well of knowledge yet uncovered. It was a promise of something to come.

Kai shivered, though he could not tell if it was from fear or excitement. He stepped out of the way, letting him pass.

The man nodded at him, seeming to take that as an acceptance of his apology, and opened the door into the grocery store that Kai had just left. There was the clang of the glass door closing, and Kai was alone again.

The weeks passed by, with Kai growing more and more frustrated as time wore on.

“How hard is it to get a damn job in this stupid city!” Kai yelled, throwing a wrapped toilet paper roll at the wall. “I can do stuff! Why won’t anyone hire me!”

“The economy is in shambles right now,” Nya remarked, her voice laced with worry. “With the destruction of northern Ninjago City by the Serpentine last year, the city’s been struggling. I mean, it’s recovering still, but at a slow rate. You just have to be patient, Kai.”

“But we don’t  _ have _ time!” Kai protested, throwing another wrapped toilet paper roll. It bounced harmlessly off the wall, rolling to a stop a few feet away from him.

“Please stop throwing those,” said Nya, rolling her eyes. “I don’t want to clean them up.”

“Yeah, okay, fine,” Kai said. He pulled out a chair and sat down opposite of Nya at their one table. “But, seriously, we need money. Rent’s due the end of this week.”

“I know,” Nya said. She paused, biting her a lip a little as she pondered something. Kai waited. He knew she often had good ideas--well, maybe not good, but ideas that worked.

“What if…” Nya said slowly. “I took it out from my scholarship?”

“What! No!” Kai exclaimed. “That’s  _ your _ money! You need it for, like, textbooks and paper and fancy binders and stuff!”

“Yeah, but we kind of need the money right  _ now _ ,” said Nya.

Kai sighed. “Fine. But I’m paying you back once I get a job, you hear? You’re my baby sis--I want you to be able to enjoy things without worrying about this kind of stuff.”

“Thanks, Kai,” Nya said softly. She reached a hand out to touch his arm resting on the tabletop. “You’re the best big brother in the world, you know that?”

Kai smirked and flexed his other arm. “Of course I am. I’m strong and powerful. I’ve got this.”

Nya rolled her eyes, grimacing a little. “Okay, you just ruined the moment. You can stop that now.”

Kai laughed and leaned forward to ruffle her hair. “I’m your big brother, okay? It’s practically my  _ job _ to annoy you.”

Nya rolled her eyes again. “Yeah, sure.”

The next morning, Kai woke up early to head to the library, a newspaper tucked under his arm. The place was practically empty when he arrived and he found himself a computer desk tucked into a corner. It gave him a good view of the entrance, just in case anyone wanted to pop in for a nasty surprise. Not that he thought anyone would come after him. He had left those days behind.

Kai booted up the computer and logged in with his new library card number, which Nya had insisted he get (“It’s free, anyway! Plus, why not use the resources available to you?”). He took out his newspaper and unrolled it, flattening it out on the empty space next to the monitor. He had circled a couple potential jobs and started going through them one by one, searching them up on the internet for more information and trying to find other jobs to apply to.

He spent the entire day at the library, sprucing up on his resume and sending in online applications to every store he could find. There were many odd jobs out there, he discovered, but he wasn’t sure he would like them. Still, he was out of options.

As the library hours came to an end, Kai heaved a heavy sigh and logged out of everything. He would have to come back again tomorrow to check. He also had some plans to learn some new skill sets using one of those free online class things he had heard about.

Kai packed up his things--just a pen, his wallet, and a water bottle tossed into a worn-out backpack from his school years--and headed out the door, bidding fairway to the librarian near the entrance.

The air outside was cool and the sun had begun to set, casting everything in orange and red hues. It made Kai smile in spite of everything. He always did love the color red, and the color of the sky during the rising and setting of the sun was something he always enjoyed, a better choice than the usual blue.

At the thought of the color blue, Kai’s mind darted back to the man he had met the first week in Ninjago City, with the piercing blue eyes and oddly marked face. He hadn’t seen him again, even though Kai had returned to that same grocery store on more than one occasion--not to stalk him or anything, no, but to shop for groceries. Since it was a grocery store. And he needed groceries. For food. And it was not because he had been thinking about him. Not at all.

At the thought of food, Kai’s stomach rumbled, his cue to obtain some sustenance to satiate his hunger. He realized, a little too late and with some sheepiness, that he had forgotten to eat lunch, having been so caught up in his job hunt. After rifling through his wallet and counting how much he had, he decided to head to his favorite grocery store for some quick shopping.

As he walked, once again, his thoughts strayed to the metallic man. Kai was sure it was just paint but it had looked so real, as if the man had been constructed of metal. Like a robot. At that thought, he let out a laugh, shaking his head at himself for such a ridiculous idea. 

He arrived at the store and entered, a bell chiming to announce his arrival. He automatically made his way to the discount section, rummaging around for something to appease his tastes. There were leftover doughnuts and scones, as well as fries and soup--all the food that had been cooked in the morning but were now growing stale. Kai crouched a bit to look at the bottom shelves, where more half-off foods were hidden. He could smell chicken wings. He liked chicken wings, and his mouth watered slightly at the thought of purchasing some spicy ones. He reached a hand out, poking around for the perfect bag of hot chicken wings.

“The potato wedges are not bad,” a voice above him said.

Kai paused and looked up. He could see dark, well-kept shoes and white pants, and, as his gaze traveled upward, gray-painted hands.

It was him. 

The metal man.

Here. At the store. Next to him.

This time, though, he was wearing a simple hoodie, with a T-shirt underneath. Something peaked out from his collar, an inked design of some sort that was difficult to make out.

Kai froze, suddenly unsure what to do with himself. He shouldn’t have been surprised to see him here considering it was where they had first met, but it was still startling nonetheless. The man reached a hand to pull out a bag of steaming potato wedges, its aroma wafting by Kai as it passed.

“You should try some, if you have not already done so,” the man continued.

Kai swallowed. “Oh, uh, sure. I’m more of a chicken wings guy myself, though.”

“I can see that,” the man said, smiling. His eyes seemed to light up--almost glowing--and Kai felt himself grow hot.

He cleared his throat, retracting his hand along with his prize. “Yeah, well, what can I say? I do love chicken.”

“A good choice.” The man grinned, flashing perfect white teeth at him. “Starch is excellent for energy, though.”

“It is,” Kai agreed, standing up. “But there’s nothing like chewing some meat.”

“I cannot argue with that,” the man said. He offered a hand. “I am Zane, by the way. I believe we met the other day, when we accidentally bumped into each other. Or, rather, I accidentally bumped into you. I was not paying attention to where I was going that day, and I am rather sorry about that.”

“It’s all cool, man,” Kai said, shaking Zane’s hand. His hand was cold and solid--like metal. Kai wondered how he managed that. “I’m Kai.”

“Are you new to Ninjago City?” Zane asked. “I have never seen you around this neighborhood before, and especially not this store.”

“Yeah, I am,” Kai said, feeling embarrassed all of a sudden. Was it that obvious that he was new? He had thought he had blended in well.

“I know all the people around these parts,” Zane explained. “Though not everyone knows me. I just like to observe people, that’s all.”

“Huh. That’s neat.”

“Well, I have some more errands to run,” Zane said. He gestured to the checkout lanes. “I will see you around, Kai.”

Zane gave a small wave and then he was gone. Kai stood still for a few more moments before shaking his head and forcing himself to move when his stomach grumbled again.

“Okay, okay, yeesh,” Kai said, aiming the comment towards his stomach. “I’m buying the food so calm down.”

He went to pick up a few more items--as much as his backpack could carry--and then headed back home, his mind racing with thoughts of one thing:  _ Zane _ .

“You okay, bro?” Nya narrowed her eyes as Kai walked out of the bathroom, the steam from his shower spilling into their living-room-slash-kitchen, a towel wrapped over his head.

“What do you mean?” Kai asked, heading towards the refrigerator and withdrawing a can of soda.

“I don’t know,” said Nya. “You seem...off lately. You keep going outside to run errands.”

She hesitated. “Kai...are you doing anything...illegal?”

Kai shrugged. “And what if I was?”

His sister sighed. “Just promise me you’ll be careful. That’s all I ask.”

“I will, sis,” Kai said. He popped open his soda can and took a gulp. “I’m not going to be leaving you any time soon, okay?”

Nya smiled but Kai could tell she didn’t entirely believe him. He made a split second decision in his mind.

“Okay, fine,” Kai said, setting his soda can onto the table. “Here’s the truth. There’s this guy who goes to the same grocery store--”

“Oh!” Understanding dawned in Nya’s eyes, a sly smile spreading on her face. “I see. I  _ see _ .”

“Don’t make this weird, Nya!” Kai whined. “He’s just...there’s something about him that’s not quite right.”

“You have a crush on him. Just admit it.”

“No! I don’t!”

“Uh-huh, sure.” Nya took his soda can--ignoring his cry of protest--and took a sip. “Come on, Kai, when was the last time you were interested in  _ anyone _ ? It’s been a while, admit it. This man must really be something for you to be this obsessed.”

“I am  _ not _ obsessed!” Kai said. “I am not some creepy stalker! Okay, so,  _ maybe _ I go to the store often, hoping to glimpse him. But that’s not illegal!”

Nya scoffed. “You’re worried about what’s illegal? You used to be a  _ gangster _ , Kai. You’ve done worse things.”

Kai frowned. “That’s true but...it just doesn’t feel right to stalk the guy. I don’t want to scare him.”

Nya patted him sympatheticall on the shoulder. “Why don’t you just talk to him? Ask him out? I mean, whats the worse than could happen?”

Kai rolled his eyes. “You give terrible advice.”

It turned out Kai would have his chance soon enough. A few days later, Kai found himself strolling through the streets at night, his hands in his pockets, as he made his way to the grocery store. The usual stuff.

However, as he rounded a corner, he heard sounds coming from a dark alleyway--sounds that seemed like a scuffle. Kai, against his better judgement, went to investigate. He still had his old knife on him, one left behind by his father that had not been seized by the government. He took it out now, flicking the switchblade so that the blade was out, tensing for a confrontation.

“You think you’re so much better, huh? You aren’t worth anything! You’re not even  _ human _ !”

Kai halted, confused by the words. Had a Serpentine infiltrated the city? Hadn’t they all voluntarily went back underground?

There were the sounds of punches being thrown and someone grunting in pain. Loud metal clangs rang throughout the area.

Kai peeked a head around the corner. There were four men surrounding someone cowering on the floor. The men had various weapons out: a club, two knives, and brass knuckles. The person on the floor had their hands up protecting their face but when their assailants paused, the hands lowered, letting Kai glimpse their face.

To his shock, he recognized the person. It was Zane.

With a yell and a fury he had forgotten he possessed, Kai lept out from the shadows, brandishing his switchblade in front of him and slashing at the attackers. He kicked one of the men holding a knife, managing to knock him unconscious. The other three advanced.

“Kai?” Zane’s confused voice reached Kai’s ears and he spun around briefly.

“Yeah! Get up, Zane! Let’s get out of here!” Kai ducked as a club swung at him, and went for a stab, managing to catch the fleshy part of the man’s leg. There was a howl of pain and something heavy collided with the back of his head, sending him sprawling to the ground, stars spinning before his eyes.

He shook it off, even as he felt blood drip down his neck. 

“Is that the best you got, you losers?” Kai hollered, charging at them again. “I’ve dealt with worse!”

Kai swung his fist at the unwounded man, landing a punch to his face. The man’s blade came at him, the metallic edge digging into his arm. Kai grimaced and quickly moved out of the way, wincing at the pain that was exploding in the injured area. He swung another punch, this time at the stomach, and aimed a kick for good measure. The man doubled over in pain, dropping his knife with a clatter.

“You wanna go?” Kai shouted, filled with adrenaline. He raised his fists at the last man still standing, the one with the brass knuckles. The man raised his arms in reply.

“Fine, the hard way it is,” Kai said. Before he could do anything, the brass knuckles slammed into his side, knocking the breath out of him. He gasped, trying to recover, but the man was too quick, landing another hefty blow on his shoulder. Kai crumpled to the floor, his bravado gone, pain overwhelming his senses.

“Leave him alone.” The voice was quiet, but familiar. 

“Zane,” Kai mumbled, his eyes closing.

Something heavy fell to the floor and someone yelped in pain. There were cries of terror and then the sound of fleeing. 

All of a sudden, it was silent.

“Are you okay?” Gentle hands prodded at him, propping him up to lean against the wall. Kai let out an involuntary groan at the touch. He felt like his whole body was on fire.

“I guess not,” Zane said, lifting him up and letting Kai lean against him. “Let’s get you to a hospital.”

“No,” Kai said. He reached a hand out to grip Zane, his world spinning. “No hospital. Just...take me home.”

There was a moment of silence.

“Alright.”

Slowly, the two of them trudged along the darkened streets, sticking to the shadows to avoid prying eyes.

“Are  _ you _ okay?” Kai asked after a while.

“Yes,” said Zane. “Thank you. Though, I must admit, that was a very foolish thing to do.”

Kai scoffed and then winced, the action causing him pain. “Oh, please, what was I supposed to do? Let them beat you up? Nah.”

“They would have failed,” Zane said simply.

“It didn’t look that way to me,” Kai said. “You were on the floor, Zane. I know a beating when I see one.”

“Technically, yes, I would have been gravely hurt,” said Zane. “If I had been a normal human, that is.”

“What?”

They stopped and Kai leaned against the nearby wall, studying Zane. The other man was uninjured, almost  _ too _ uninjured. There were no marks on his body at all.

“I’m not human, Kai,” Zane said quietly. “I’m a robot.”

He showed Kai his arm. “Touch it. Knock it, if you want. It’s pure metal. Titanium, in fact.”

Kai did so, and a metallic ring sounded.

“You...you’re actually a robot?” Kai could only stare, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

“This is Ninjago City,” Zane said with a small wry smile. “Stranger things have happened. Much stranger things.”

“Well, I haven’t been in this city for long,” Kai grumbled. “So this is strange to me. But a good strange. It’s pretty cool, actually.”

“You should stay away from me, Kai,” Zane said softly. “You’ll only get hurt.”

“Nothing can keep me away,” Kai said stubbornly. He raised his head to look into Zane’s blue eyes. They reminded him of a glacial pond, cold and soothing on a hot summer day. “Certainly not a couple of bad people.”

“Kai...I’m not who you think I am.  _ I’m  _ a bad person.” Zane blinked, looking sad and forlorn. “I’ve done terrible things.”

Kai smirked, reaching a hand out to touch Zane’s face. Zane did not pull away. “Zane...you’re not the only bad person here. I used to be a gang member, Zane. And you currently are one, by the looks of it. I know how that life goes. It doesn’t scare me.”

Zane smiled. “Let’s get you home.”

Nya nearly let out a shriek when they arrived, her worry palpable. She barely gave Zane a second glance, ushering them both into the apartment and locking the door behind her. 

“I’m okay, I’m okay,” Kai said, waving her off.

Nya didn’t believe him, pulling out a chair for him. “Sit, Kai. I’m examining all your wounds so you had better sit still.”

“Ugh,” Kai protested but obeyed, still feeling too light headed to properly argue. 

Nya glanced at Zane. “And you must be Zane. I don’t even want to know how you two got into this mess, but if you’re here, you might as well help.”

Nya tossed Zane a damp cloth. “Take off his shirt and jacket and wipe his wounds. I’m going to the store to get bandages. Thank the First Spinjitzu Master that the pharmacy downstairs is practically open all day.”

“Be careful, Nya,” Kai called out. There was no reply. 

“She will be fine,” Zane said, seating himself next to Kai. Carefully, he removed Kai’s jacket, and then his shirt, leaving his chest exposed to the cold night air. Kai shivered.

“It does not look too bad,” Zane observed. He brought the damp cloth forward, gently cleaning the knife wound on his right arm. After his arm, Zane wiped the rest of the blood away from his head, their faces just inches from each other. They watched each other, unwilling to break eye contact.

Zane looked away first, standing up to wash out the cloth.

“You don’t happen to have a vacant spot, do you?” Kai said. 

“What?” Zane glanced at him, frowning in confusion.

“Your gang. I just so happen to be looking for a job.”

“...We do have a few spots open. But I won’t be handing them to you.”

“Why not? I told you, I can handle it. I know this stuff. It’s what I’m good at. Besides, you saw me just now. I can handle a fight.”

“I do not think so,” Zane said, returning to Kai’s side, a clean cloth in his hand. “You were losing.”

“Well, I was up against four,” Kai grumbled. “Not exactly fair.”

“You did pretty well against four opponents,” Zane admitted. He wiped the blood on Kai’s chest, letting the cloth move slowly across.

Kai grinned. “That, I did. So, am I in?”

“I’ll have to talk to my boss,” Zane said. “I will be honest with you, Kai--he had his eye on your for a while already, ever since you first stepped foot into the city.”

“What? Why?” Kai tensed and Zane’s hand paused mid-swipe.

“Let’s just say he has resources everywhere. He knows about your background. He wanted to recruit you right away, and I was actually sent to fetch you. But that day...when I met you…”

Zane hesitated, looking shy, if robots could look that way. “I saw you and thought, ‘I don’t want him to get hurt.’”

Kai reached a hand out, placing it on top of Zane’s hand, the one still over his chest. He could feel his own heartbeat through Zane’s fingers. “I can take care of myself. Besides, trouble seems to find me no matter where I go, anyway. So, why not face trouble with others by my side?”

Zane sighed, but Kai noticed he was smiling. “Alright. I’ll bring you to meet the boss tomorrow, get you sorted.”

Kai grinned and dropped his hand, freeing Zane to resume his task.

They sat in comfortable silence for a few more seconds. Zane finished cleaning him and put the cloth aside. Slowly, a hand brushed his side, tracing the tattoo of a dragon. The metallic fingers were cool on his flushed skin.

“You like dragons?” Zane asked softly.

“I do,” Kai said. “They remind me to be brave, to protect. To never back down.”

Zane’s hand moved farther in, over his heart. “And this one?”

“For my parents,” Kai said quietly, closing his eyes. “This was the logo of their blacksmith shop, Four Weapons.”

“You must miss them.”

“I do. But, there are always other people to fill in the gap. It’s been so many years, sometimes I don’t even miss my parents.”

“I never knew mine,” Zane confessed. 

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

Zane removed his hand but Kai reached for it, holding it in his scarred ones, trying to transfer his warmth over. They sat unmoving.

“Okay, I don’t know what’s up with you two, but we need to get these bandaged up.” Nya poked her head into the room, raising an eyebrow at them. “You can do all this lovey dovey stuff  _ after _ Kai’s properly bandaged.”

Kai made a face and Nya not so gently wrapped him up. “I think I’m going to be sore tomorrow.”

Zane let out a laugh, and Kai couldn’t help but grin, the sound of it soothing him in the way no medicine ever could.

The next day, Zane made good on his word. He took Kai to meet his boss, who turned out to be this old man named Wu. Wu made him call him ‘Master’. Kai wasn’t fond of it, but after a humiliating defeat, Kai agreed that there were still many things he could still learn. 

After his induction, Kai was given a tour of their headquarters, a hidden monastery dojo located in the mountains. Kai thought it was a bit impractical to have their headquarters so far away from the city, but he did not argue. He had done his research (on his phone) and it seemed that Master Wu had a formidable reputation as leader of the Spinjitzu Spinners. Kai respected that.

He was given a tattoo of a lion head encased in flames on his left bicep. Zane showed him a similar one on his collarbone, one of a tiger in ice.

“It represents us,” Zane explained. “It shows who we are. You are a lion--brave and noble, but also fire for your fiery spirit.”

They stopped at a fast food place for lunch (“Burgers, Zane! We  _ need _ burgers!”) and then Zane showed him around town, taking Kai to his favorite spots.

After roaming around town for a while, Zane suddenly turned to Kai.

“Shall we get some revenge?” Zane asked. There was a wicked gleam in his eyes. Kai liked that.

“Revenge?” Kai asked curiously.

“Yes, for what The Departed did to you.” Zane took his arm and led him to a supposedly empty warehouse. From inside his coat, he pulled out a stick of dynamite. “This is one of their lesser storerooms. Shall we give them a lesson they won’t forget?”

Kai grasped the dynamite in his hands and nodded. “Let’s do that.”

The two of them crept in and Kai prepped the dynamite. With a nod to his new partner, they set the dynamite and left the building, hiding a little ways off to observe the oncoming wreckage.

Zane grinned at him and Kai couldn’t help but return the expression.

He was embarking on his new life.

And he would not be alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't forget to check out all the awesome works, which can be found [here](https://ninjago-valentine-exchange.tumblr.com)!


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